Sent my (one month out of warranty) G11 with the "vertical scratch problem" to Canon repair center in Ontario. At first they were going to charge a flat $149 plus shipping to do the repair. After I objected and explained I considered this problem a design error and cited the frequency of this problem reported on various forums, they agreed to cover the repair at not charge.

They did not confirm the repair would prevent reoccurence on the G11, nor would they confirm or deny the problem had been designed out of the G12. Would be nice to know. Anyway, I'm grateful they covered the repair.